Monday 12 December 2011 10.00 EST
First published on Monday 12 December 2011 10.00 EST

The Other Life is a story about a 15-year-old girl called Sherry, who has been living in a bunker with her family for the past 98,409,602 seconds (3 years approximately), as a protection against a virus that turns people into rabid zombies ("Weepers"). However, if you're thinking that this book sounds like The Enemy e.t.c by Charlie Higson, it isn't! They both may have zombies, but that is where the similarities end.

The book begins with Sherry and her father emerging from the bunker as their food has run out. Almost instantly after stepping out, Sherry and her father are attacked by the Weepers. Sherry's dad is captured but luckily, Sherry is saved by another survivor – a teenage boy called Joshua, who happens to be dashingly good-looking (coincidence, I think not!).

He takes her and the rest of her family (mum, grandmother and two siblings) to Safe Haven which is a house outside of the city where other survivors have congregated. Here Sherry learns of what has happened in the outside world for the past three years. The rest of the book is then dedicated to Sherry fighting zombies with Joshua and them falling in love. This did put me off slightly – I was expecting wall-to-wall action not a romance! However, Winnacker certainly knows how to end on a cliff-hanger; despite the lack of a gripping plot, the ending is enticing and exciting at the same time.

If I'm completely honest, this book did not grip me in the way that I hoped it would. This is mainly because some of the characters felt a bit underdeveloped and the plot is quite forgettable. However, some aspects of it were quite appealing. I liked the way the main character counted the time spent in the bunker in seconds as it really gave a sense of how seconds can seem like hours, and months like years. I also liked the way in which each title began with a flashback of an everyday scene which was a nice contrast; it made me think how safe our lives are compared to so many others.

In conclusion, if you want a romance with a bit of action, this is the book for you but if you prefer absolute gore and horror, this will probably not appeal!

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